Hulk Hogan’s death wasn’t sudden as he was intubated and unconscious at home for weeks: Report

CLEARWATER, FLORIDA: It’s been just a week since the wrestling world was shaken by the death of the legendary Hulk Hogan at 71.

But while fans were blindsided by the suddenness of his death on Friday, July 24, new details are painting a far more grim picture of his final weeks.

The Clearwater Police say Hogan — born Terry Bollea — died of cardiac arrest in his Florida home.

Hulk Hogan’s conflicting reports and hopes of healing

Turns out, the Hulkster went under the knife sometime in late May or early June. It’s unclear exactly what the operation was for, but it was serious enough to require some serious downtime.

According to Perez Hilton, Hogan's longtime frenemy Bubba the Love Sponge claimed weeks ago that he was not doing well, even flat-out saying the wrestling icon was “dying from heart failure.”

But Hogan’s wife, Sky Daily, shut that down quickly and insisted he was “healing” and taking the recovery “one day at a time with love, strength, and patience.” Over on X (formerly Twitter), close pal and wrestling hype man Jimmy Hart chimed in before Hogan’s death, saying he was “doing phenomenal.”

At the time, those close to him said he was "not in the hospital" and that he was recovering at home. Friends swore that he was “calling and texting as normal.”

Hulk Hogan was hospitalized at home

But behind the scenes, things were a lot more dire than anyone was letting on.

Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer dropped a bombshell in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter on Friday, revealing Hogan had been hospitalized at home due to serious complications following his surgery.

Hogan was reportedly being treated for renal failure, fluid overload, and COPD — a chronic lung disease that can make it extremely hard to breathe and can be fatal.

The former wrestler was intubated, which means a machine was breathing for him. He was also being fed through an IV, and likely wasn’t even conscious.

Meltzer commented, “What happened with Hulk was they took him out of the hospital and made a hospital in his house, as there wasn’t much left they could do.”

Perez Hilton chimes in

Perez Hilton weighed in after Dave Meltzer’s report dropped.

“That’s so awful… It sounds as much like a hospice as anything," he reacted. "If Hogan was in a situation like this, it doesn’t feel like his passing was as sudden as we’re being led to believe. Was this wishful thinking on his wife’s part? We can certainly understand that feeling, of course.”

However, he ended with a heartfelt send-off. “Our hearts are with the Hogan family as they navigate this time. Rest in peace."

Sky Daily speaks out after Hulk Hogan’s death

After fans started mourning, Sky Daily took to Instagram over the weekend with a heartbreaking post about the man she knew as more than just a larger-than-life persona.

“[Hulk] had been dealing with some health issues, but I truly believed we would overcome them. I had so much faith in his strength. I thought we still had more time. This loss is sudden and impossible to process. To the world, he was a legend… but to me, he was my Terry. The man I loved. My partner. My heart," she wrote.

She also shared just how much his fans meant to him, especially in those painful final days.

“Hulk loved his fans so much and, despite his growing physical discomfort, he did everything he could to show up, sign autographs, take photos, and connect with the people who supported him through it all. You meant everything to him,” Sky added.